BELMULLET WHALING STATION. 131 
IV.—General Observations on the Various Species. 
1. Finners (B. musculus, Gray). 
(a) Colowration.—Noné of the specimens of the Finner examined 
by us presented any remarkable colour variations. On very many 
animals white marks occurred in the pigmented areas, as noted by 
Burfiéld.* Some of these seemed to be the scars left after Penella has 
dropped off. In many cases we found the sores which had been 
produced by the parasite, although the latter was not present. These 
sores presented the same appearance as the wounds in which the 
parasites were still fixed. 
Notes on individual specimens :— 
No. 10.—There were a few white patches on the tongue, which 
may have been the result of lesions, cr due to mere absence of 
pigment. 
No. 11.—A pale, grey line, about three-eighths of an inch broad, 
but gradually widening, ran from the ear aperture upwards and 
backwards to a point level with the anterior margin of the pectoral fin, 
and about 9 in. above the level of the ear-hole. From here onwards 
it broadened out and swept round in a semicircle to the anterior 
margin of the pectoral. On the top of the head there was a triangular 
grey patch, having as apices the angle of the jaw, the nape at the 
level of the pectoral, and a point about half-way down the margin 
of the rostrum. 
No. 19.—The foetus of No. 19, 15 ft. in length, displayed the same 
areas of colouration on the head as an adult. The dark colour of the 
body was defined in front by the same line sweeping back from the eye, 
through the ear, and down to the pectoral, while dorsally it was 
limited by another line curving backwards, and dorsally, from the 
eye. 
No 24.—The black colour extended in flecks from the left as far 
as the mid-ventral line, in the region of the ventral furrows. 
No. 29.—The belly had a yellow tinge, but, as the animal was 
very decomposed, this was probably not the case during life, as, when 
they have been dead for some time, whales become very discoloured. 
There were streaks of black on the left side of the belly. 
There is always a certain amount of pigment in the more lateral 
and posterior furrows. In Nos. 41 and 42 this was specially well 
developed, extending almost to the mid-ventral line from the left 
side. The furrow region of No. 42 had also a number of pale purple 
staims in its pure white. These were due to the presence of blood 
in the cutaneous vessels, which appeared to be gorged. They 
resembled bruises, but the epidermis was undamaged. This whale 
displayed a few of the ‘galvanised-iron’ markings which are charac- 
teristic of the Blue Whale. These were in the post-anal region. 
Tt had also several incised wounds in the belly, about 8 in. long, 
partly healed, but stillraw. No. 45 had a large island of black pigment 
on the posterior furrow region of the left side. 
© Op. cit., 175, 
K 2 
